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Monthly Archives: September 2013

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Some of my twitter peeps decided to try and rev up their blogging and are trying to blog everyday for a year. I went with just the month of September.

I think there were 2 days where I posted twice- once to play catchup and this past Saturday to get ahead.

So I’m now 30/30 counting this senseless post where I ramble on and on…. 🙂

Just so it won’t seem completely senseless (hey, I’m trying to read a book and can’t think to write an authentic one!), I’ll leave you with a picture of what my life is like at times.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way! But do you know how sore I am after raking hay? Lol!

So I’m settling in with a butterfinger bar and an Anna Quindlen book. Jealous? Thought you might be. Wink-wink.

Tomorrow I’m starting a running challenge- yeah, yeah, I know how I do in those, but this one is a ZOMBIE running challenge! And I got a tshirt. I’m hoping that will motivate me to get out of this BIG running slump I’ve been in and get back to business.

Four years after Tom and Abby’s 12-year-old daughter vanishes, she is found alive but strangely calm. When the teen refuses to testify against the man connected to her disappearance, Tom decides to investigate the traumatizing case on his own. Nothing can prepare him for what he is about to discover.

My Thoughts:

Let’s say this one is an awesome read, one that makes you want to keep reading it to find out what happens, while at the same time makes you MAD! I don’t what I can really say without giving too much away. You’re heart is going to break for different reasons.

I would compare this one to ROOM or the book A Stolen Life about Jaycee Duggard in regards to making me feel sick to my stomach, but yet there’s a big difference, too.

I just went through all of my “read” books on my goodreads account and made a “not yet reviewed” shelf for them. OH MY WORD. I only went back about 2 years. I ended up adding 332 books to this shelf.

So now my goal is to review them here on my blog. I have been reviewing books on my blog for quite awhile, but OBVIOUSLY not ALL of the ones I’m reading. Good grief- I never thought there were THAT many that I had not reviewed!! 🙂

I had recently applied to be a CYBILS judge and was not accepted. When I really started thinking about why I might not have been accepted I came to this conclusion:

1. YES, I read ALL the time.

2. YES, I review these books on goodreads.

3. NO, I don’t review them on my blog like I thought I did. LOL!

I want to catch up. How in the world am I going to do this? I still want to blog about teaching, etc. I think there’s an unwritten rule out there to NOT publish more than 1 blog post each day. Uh-oh. 🙂

So what’s a girl to do? Hmmm……

I don’t want it to take me 14 years to get caught up on my book blogging. I mean it’s not like I’m NOT going to be reading anything currently and needing to blog about these books as well.

Any suggestions? Do I dare to break the blogging etiquette rule? Do I get caught up when I turn 81 years old? 🙂

Actually, to say I’ve been thinking is an understatement! I do that all the time. 🙂

But- I’ve been thinking more than usual! About all things related to teaching. There’s so much I want to do this year with my 6th graders, but I’m really doing a pretty good job taking baby steps.

However- now I’ve got something brewing in my mind that I just can’t let go of. It has to do with testing, grades, choice, and independence.

Here’s my rough draft plan that has formulated in my mind:

Fridays are our heavy testing day. Math test, spelling quiz, reading assessment. I’m also going to add history in since I can’t seem to figure out a definite way of getting 6 grades in history each 6 weeks (which is required for all subjects).

So back to my plan.

I’m wanting to make Fridays more of a set your own agenda and work at your own pace kind of day.

I might create a guide sheet to give to the students on Friday mornings with assignments that are due by the end if the day. Then let them plan their own day. With a little guidance and nudging and support if needed.

With built in free time for them to CHOOSE what else to explore, read, learn, do.

Ok- that’s as far as I’ve gotten with my plan. 🙂

I’m wanting to implement it NEXT Friday so stay tuned for a final copy of:

We made a reading bulletin board today so we could keep up with each other as far as how many books we have read so far for the school year.

I now have 2 students who are ahead of me. One hasn’t put his sticky note up yet. Although I did question the # he is claiming. Should I do that??? It just seems hard to believe-27 books in 6 weeks of school. But the other students were believing him. Hmmmm….. I’ll be more observant and can’t wait to conference with him soon. 🙂